Temperature-regulating means for pianos and the like.



B. E. OANPIELD. TEMPERATURE REGULATING MEANS FOR PIANOS AND THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED APILIO. 1911.

Patented July 23, 1912.

gmvenloz BENJAMIN mronnn cmrmm), or non'ron, Kansas.

TEMPEBATUBE-BEGULA 1,033,536. swi

on or! Letters Patent.

lmans son was AND THE LIKE.

Patented July 23, 1912.

Application filed April 10, 1811. Serial No. 620,188.

To all whom comer-n:

to rovide a novel device adapted to be positioned within a piano or piano player,

for the purpose of preventing drying out of the sound board, keys, action or pin block.

This is extremely liable to happen in warm dry weather or when the instrument is located: near a fire or in a room heated byfurnace including hot' water, hot air, vacuum base burner, or other source of heat.

"The device embodying the present invention is in the nature of a cup which is suitably supported within the case of the piano and COIlt3.1l\Sna moistened sponge which supplies "sutlicie t moisture to the sound board and inner mechanism .of the instrument to prevent its 'behoming so dried out as to im- Pair the toneandtction of the instrument.

The invention aims further to so mount the cup within the instrument that it may be readily removed for the purposeof sup plying it with water,

In theaccompanying drawings: Figure 1, is a front elevation of a piano, parts being broken away, showing the invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the device. Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the device, the support therefor being arranged in a position different from that shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

As before stated, the invention contemplates the provision of a cup which is supported within the case of the instrument and contains a moistened sponge, and in the drawings the body of this cup is iridicated by the numeral '5 and is preferably in the form of a hollow, inverted cone which is closed at its apex. This body, at its upper end is partly closed by a top 6 which is secured thereon and is of inverted frustoconical form, the apex or minor end of the top being open as indicated bythe numeral cated in the drawings by the numeral 8 and is inserted part way through the opening 7 so that a portion will project above the opening, and a portion into the body of the cup. Prior to inserting the sponge, the body of the cup is partly filledwith water as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the portion of the sponge which projects into the body of the cup being immersed in the water. Inasmuch as'it is desirable that the device he so constructed that it may be readily applied to the case of any ordinary piano, the support "for the cup is so arranged that it may be applied to the interior of any of the walls of the case and regardless of the position which it assumes, will support thp cup in vertical position. As shown in the drawings, the cup support is formed from a strip bent at opposite sides of its middleto form diverging arms 9 and aconnecting portion 10 through which latter may be passed screws or other securing devices 11 for the purpose of securing the support upon oneof the walls of the piano cases Near their extremities, the arms 9 are bent to form portions 12 lying in parallel planes, and projecting inwardly from each of these portions is a headed stud 13. Ears 14 are secured to the body of the cup at diametrically opposite points and' project above the top thereof, and each of these cars is formed with a key-hole slot 15,

the major end of which is located lowermost. The cup is assembled with the support by engaging the studs in the key-hole slots so that theishanks of the/studs will rest in the narrow portions of .the slots as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

From the foregoing it willbe readily understood that whether the support -be mounted upon the underside of the top of the case of the instrument, upon the inner side of the back wall thereof, or upon either of the side walls, the cup will remain in vertical position. It will also be understood that the support may be mounted upog the inner side of the desk of the case as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. "Furthermore, it will be understood that the cup may be readily removed froin the support and refilled with water at a v time, by merely lifting it until 'the heads d ff the studs may pass through the major ends of the slots 15 in the ends of the arms of the support.

Vhile there is an advantage in having the body of the cup of inverted conical form, inasmuch as the water therewithin Will be absorbed by the sponge to the last drop, it will be ui-ujerstoodthat it may be made of any other desired form. It will further be understood that due to the factthat the top for the cup is of inverted frusto-conioal form, Water absorbed by the upper portion iof the sponge will not drip onto the mechainism of the instrument in which the device is loeatedbut will, on the other hand, be returned to the body of the cup or retained by the portion of the sponge which projects through the opening in the top of the cup.

W hat is claimed 1s:

A device for the purpose described, comprising a bail-shaped support haying an intermediate portion constructed'for permanent attachment to the inner side of a piano case and also having arms extending from said intermediate portion, a cup pivotally connected with and Capable of swinging entirely around betweenthearms of thesnp port, whereby it is adapted to hang upright in the support, irrespective of the position thereof, and detachable from said arms for the purpose set forth; said cup having at its upper ends top of frusto-conical form the apex of which is open, and a body of absorbent material, of less diameter'than the top, snugly arranged and secured, at an intermediate point of its height in said opening in the cup ,top below the opening.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

BENJAMIN EUGENE CANFIELD. Witnesses: (p

v P. M. HAUs,

A. J. SEABOLD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the. Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

and extending above and 

